This invention relates to connecting devices of the type having a conductor-receiving slot such that an electrical connection is established by moving the conductor into the slot. The embodiment of the invention disclosed herein is particularly intended for use with a flexible hose having a helical wire spring but other uses for the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description.
Flexible hoses of the type used with vacuum cleaners to convey refuse from the nozzle of the cleaner to the canister thereof commonly comprise a helical wire spring which supports a film of supple plastic. In some types of vacuum cleaners, it is desirable to provide an electric motor in the nozzle, for example, to operate a brush so that the surface being cleaned will be brushed during the vacuuming operation. It is common practice to use the flexible wire spring of the hose as a conductor means for supplying current to the motor as shown, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,314,039, 3,546,656, 3,198,873 and in other issued U.S. Patents.
The helical wire springs used in these flexible wire hoses must be of a material such as a spring steel having good strength and spring properties and the achievement of electrical connections to the springs presents an unusual problem. For this reason, the electrical connections used in the past are of unusual types and are sometimes expensive and inconvenient.
In accordance with the practice of the instant invention, a terminal having a wire receiving slot means is provided and the terminal is connected to the wire by simply inserting the wire into the slot means of the terminal. However, and because of the fact that relatively hard steel wires are involved rather than conventional softer copper wires, wire receiving slots of known types are not suitable for the problem to which the instant invention is addressed. Wire-receiving slot means in accordance with the invention overcome the deficiencies of previously known wire slots.
It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide an improved electrical terminal. A further object is to provide a terminal having an improved wire-receiving slot means which is suitable for use on steel wires or wires of other relatively hard materials. A further object is to provide a terminal which can be applied to the spring steel coil springs in a flexible hose with a minimum of preparation of the ends of the hose.